Written Answers Monday 15 October 2007

Scottish Executive

Adoption

Jackson Carlaw (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been adopted at birth in each year since 1987, expressed also as a percentage of total births for each year.

Jim Mather: Adoption "at birth" is impossible, because an adoption order can only be granted by a court after a complex assessment process, and the mother’s agreement to offer a child for adoption is not valid if given less than six weeks after the child’s birth. It is rare nowadays for an infant to be offered for adoption shortly after birth. The following table shows, for each year since 1987, the number of children aged under six months registered for adoption. The table also gives the total number of births registered each year. Because of the small numbers of adoptions involved, percentages have not been presented.

  Adoptions of Children Aged Under Six Months, 1987-2006

  

Year of Adoption
Number
Total Number of Births


1987
33
66,241


1988
35
66,212


1989
16
63,480


1990
21
65,973


1991
9
67,024


1992
4
65,789


1993
10
63,337


1994
3
61,656


1995
1
60,051


1996
2
59,296


1997
0
59,440


1998
1
57,319


1999
4
55,147


2000
1
53,076


2001
1
52,527


2002
1
51,270


2003
3
52,432


2004
4
53,957


2005
1
54,386


2006
3
55,690

Central Heating Programme

Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have waited for longer than four months for central heating to be installed following their initial application to the central heating programme since Scottish Gas was awarded the contract in October 2006.

Stewart Maxwell: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The Programme Managing Agent (Scottish Gas) has indicated that 4,429 households have been waiting more than four months since the date of their application.

Enterprise Networks

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which representatives of the trade unions in Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley were consulted on the changes to the enterprise networks.

Jim Mather: We consulted widely on the reforms which will be made to the enterprise networks, including with national trade union representatives. No specific discussions took place with trade unions in the Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley area.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings of the Ministerial Progress Group on Second Stage Transfers in Glasgow have been held since April 2007.

Stewart Maxwell: There have been no meetings of the Ministerial Progress Group since April 2007. I understand the group has not met since December 2006.

Housing

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the next meeting of the Ministerial Progress Group on Second Stage Transfers in Glasgow will be held.

Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Government has no plans to reconvene the Ministerial Progress Group.

NHS Boards

Cathy Jamieson (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the set-up and running costs of the independent scrutiny panel established to look at the new proposals for review of services brought forward by NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Nicola Sturgeon: The main costs will consist of the remuneration to panel members and their secretariat support. Panel members’ expenses will be reimbursed, and remuneration will be offered at a rate of £400 a day, which is consistent with the current rate for members of the Mental Health Tribunal and other similar bodies. This panel is expected to devote 15 working days per person to undertaking its task in relation to the revised accident and emergency service proposals from NHS Ayrshire and Arran, at a total estimated cost (including expenses) of £26,000.

  This panel’s full-time secretariat consists of a secretariat manager, panel facilitator and secretariat officer. The secretariat also provides full-time support to the panel that is considering the NHS service proposals for the Clyde area, chaired by Professor Angus Mackay. Both panels commenced their work in September 2007 with Professor Mackay’s panel scheduled to publish its report in late November. The panel chaired by Dr Andrew Walker that is considering the revised accident and emergency service proposals from NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Lanarkshire is expected to produce its final report in early January 2008. The total estimated staffing cost for the secretariat for the period September 2007 to January 2008 is £45,313.

  These are preliminary, estimated costs - I will publish the full, final costs in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre when the work of the two Independent Scrutiny Panels is complete. The cost of both panels is being met within existing Health Directorates budgets.

NHS Waiting Times

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which patient groups and treatments are currently being considered for inclusion in waiting times targets.

Nicola Sturgeon: I have already announced our intention to develop and publish, by the end of this year, an action plan for health and wellbeing which will set out the government’s health care strategy and key actions for the next three years. Public consultation to inform the development of this action plan is currently underway.

  Our action plan will include a new and ambitious target for NHS waiting times: a new whole journey waiting time target of 18 weeks from general practitioner referral to treatment. The action plan will set out how we intend to meet the target by December 2011, and the range of services to which it will apply.

Registers of Scotland

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances an individual may acquire the birth or marriage certificate of another individual without their consent.

Jim Mather: The registers of births, deaths and marriages, from which birth, death and marriage certificates (formally called "extracts") are drawn, are public documents. The Registrar General, and local registrars, have a statutory duty, under the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965, to provide public access to and issue extracts from any Scottish register on payment of the statutory fee. However, in the interests of privacy, the act limits access to the registers by means of an index of surnames only, to prevent browsing through the records. A person wishing to acquire an extract would need to provide to the Registrar General or a local registrar sufficient information about a specific event to be able to identify it in the index.

Renewable Energy

Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how members of the public may obtain copies of the local inquiry report into the planning application by Scottish Power for a wind turbine development at Harestanes.

Jim Mather: The Public Local Inquiry report on the Harestanes wind farm application is available on the Scottish Government Energy Consents website www.scotland.gov.uk/enterprise/energy . The report is also available at Dumfries and Galloway Council planning department and at Saughton House library, Edinburgh. Copies can be obtained on request from the Energy Consents Unit. (Tel. 0141 242 5480).

Special Advisers

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29 by John Swinney on 30 May 2007, how many special advisers there are now; what their specific responsibilities are, and what the cost is of their employment.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29 by John Swinney on 30 May 2007, whether all special advisers have achieved satisfactory security, health and reference clearances.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-5415 on 15 October 2007 which set out the current number of special advisers and their responsibilities. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

  The routine security, health and reference checks, where required, have been obtained for all these appointments, except for the most recent full-time appointee.

  The estimate of the annual salary cost now takes into account changes to special adviser appointments and pension contributions. The salary cost over a full 12 month period, based on the special adviser complement at 1 November 2007, is estimated at £568,021. This figure includes ERNIC and employer pension contributions except for one special adviser in each instance.

Special Advisers

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29 by John Swinney on 30 May 2007, whether it will clarify the length of the short-term contract under which Jennifer Erickson was appointed to establish the Council of Economic Advisers.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29 by John Swinney on 30 May 2007, whether it will provide details of the status, responsibilities and contract terms of Jennifer Erickson.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29 by John Swinney on 30 May 2007, whether Jennifer Erickson is employed on a full-time basis and how many hours she works.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29 by John Swinney on 30 May 2007, whether a special adviser is leading on dealings with the Council of Economic Advisers and whether this is considered to be good practice.

John Swinney: Jennifer Erickson has been engaged on a contractual basis since 1 June as a self-employed consultant. Her remit is:

  1. Working to the First Minister and the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, and in collaboration with the Director-General Economy, to be responsible for developing the concept of the Council of Economic Advisers, for developing the role of the council, for making recommendations on the potential membership of the council, including approaching individuals informally to ascertain their interest and suitability, for advising on the launch of the council and on its proposed working arrangements and programme of work.

  2. To provide such other advice on economic and other matters as the First Minister requests, in collaboration with colleagues.

  Ms Erickson is being paid a daily rate (based on 7.5 hour days). As of 15 October 2007 she has worked 97 days. Her contract expires on 31 October 2007.

Special Advisers

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the names of the special advisers currently in post; what their pay bands are for 2007-08; how many special advisers are in each pay band, and what the total salary cost of employing special advisers was in 2006-07.

John Swinney: There are currently six special adviser full-time appointments, one part-time appointment, one unpaid appointment and one short-term appointment until the end of October 2007. There will be one further full-time special adviser appointment from 22 October. The special advisers and their specific responsibilities are as follows:

  

Name
Specific Responsibilities


Duncan Hamilton (part time)
Political adviser to the First Minister


Professor Sir Neil McCormick(part-time unpaid)
Adviser on Europe and external relations


Kevin Pringle
Strategic co-ordination across all portfolios, political spokesperson and senior adviser on communications issues 


Stephen Noon
Senior adviser on policy matters across all portfolios


Noel Dolan
Senior policy adviser to the Deputy First Minister 


John McFarlane
Policy adviser, supporting Mr Noon


Jennifer Dempsie
Communications adviser and Parliamentary liaison


Geoff Aberdein
Advice on diary issues and support for Parliamentary Liaison Officers


Jennifer Erickson (short-term contract until 31 October 2007)
Advice on the establishment of the Council of Economic Advisers


Will McLeish(from 22 October 2007)
Support on communications issues



  The number of salaried special advisers in each pay band from 22 October 2007 is:

  

Pay Band
Pay Range
Number of Salaried Special Advisers


1
£38,100 - £49,300
4


2
£49,301 - £63,100
0


3
£62,800 - £81,100
3


3 (premium)
£80,700 - £97,500
0


4
£84,000 - £100,900
1



  The total salary cost for the 12 Special Advisers in the previous Administration in 2006-2007 including ERNIC and employer pension contributions was £854,376. Details are:

  

 
Salary
ERNIC
Pension Contribution
Total


2006-07
£684,520
£78,634
£91,222
£854,376

Tourism

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its proposed changes to the structure of VisitScotland, decisions currently taken by staff in VisitShetland offices in Shetland and in other local tourism offices will continue to be taken in the local offices or whether they will be taken at one or more central locations.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its proposed changes to the structure of VisitScotland, there will be any change to the delivery of the marketing of tourism in Shetland and other parts of Scotland.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its proposed changes to the structure of VisitScotland, there will be any change to the activities carried out in the VisitShetland offices in Shetland and in other tourism offices throughout Scotland.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as a result of its proposed changes to the structure of VisitScotland, there will be any change to the funding provided to run the VisitShetland offices in Shetland and other local tourism offices throughout Scotland.

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement on enterprise networks by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 26 September 2007, how it will ensure that local control of tourism strategy is retained in a hub network of six areas.

Jim Mather: This is an operational matter for VisitScotland. I have asked the Chief Executive of VisitScotland to write to you direct on this matter.